Till the End
by EnduranceInTribulation
Summary: [Oneshot]True friends are together until the end, no matter where or what that end may be... LeeTen Friendship fic. Dedicated to SapphireWhiteTigress.


'Till the End

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, trust me.  
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It just wasn't worth it, he decided. Why live if living was like this? He was tired of it, tired of it all. He clenched the kunai he was holding more tightly, his tears falling more and more quickly now. His hands shook but his internal resolve was almost concrete. It would end, it would end there and now and he would finally have peace, he would finally be free. He flipped the kunai once, the sun glaring off of the glittering blade. The instrument of his peace... of his final rest, it would end with this one final move, this one quick cut, he pressed down, the kunai cutting into his arm gently, a sharp but gratifying pain and a small trickle of blood issuing from the cut "Hey Lee, what are you doing over there?" a voice called.

Lee quickly slung the kunai again, his hands reaching up to rub away the tears in his eyes, "Ah... just watching the sunset Tenten-chan," he said. He rubbed his eyes more briskly, trying to clear his vision before the weapons master could see them.

Tenten sat next to him, her hazel eyes searching over his trembling features. He looked like he always did but he was lacking his usual air of optimism, his aura of happiness. "Lee.." she said softly, "We know that you're having a hard time right now... we all are... but please... don't do anything too drastic..."

Lee smiled at her painfully, his heart tearing as he forced the smile to his face, "Whatever do you mean Tenten-chan?" he said, his hands clenching and unclenching nervously. "What would I do?"

Tenten sighed, her eyes sweeping knowingly over his features. "You can't keep the promise Lee.. I won't let you,"

Lee blinked in surprise and smiled again, his face contorted in fake mirth as he laughed hollowly, "Oh that promise?" he said, "I have forgotten all about it! Do not be silly Tenten-chan"

Tenten sighed, she had never expected him to be this stubborn, but she understood. "Lee... you loved him... he was a father to you... but he would never want you to do anything drastic,"

Lee looked away, his eyes filling with tears again, "I honestly have forgotten about that promise Tenten-chan," he said, trying to keep his tears from running down his face.

Tenten nodded unbelievingly and pointed to the dark stain that was spreading down his hastily rewrapped bandages. "So what's that?" she asked quietly.

Lee turned away, his face finally betraying his emotions, "Please leave me alone to my deed Tenten-chan..." he said, "I do not wish for you to see me like this..."

Tenten frowned and stood, her hands gently taking his arm and unwrapping his bandages. Lee turned and tried to pull away but she held fast, not willing to let him even get close to getting away. She pulled out a small vial of ethyl alcohol and began to clean the cut, "Lee... don't do this to yourself... if he saw that, he'd have been so angry... he wouldn't want you to give up on your life..."

Tears fell hard and fast as Lee tugged his arm away from her, "I made a promise to him! We were going to die together! I have to keep it! Don't you understand?" he was hysterical now, his voice breaking from the emotions he was finally spilling into the world, "He would have done it for me!" Lee yelled.

"There's no doubt that he would Lee.." Tenten said empathetically, calming him down immensely, "But you can't do the same... I won't let you..."

"Why not?" Lee stormed.

Tenten just shook her head and tugged the kunai he had freshly drawn from his hand. "Make ME a promise Lee..." she said, "I want you to promise me that you'll die with me okay? Not before... we'll die together... okay?"

"But why Tenten-chan?" Lee asked, his eyes downcast, "Why would you do this for me?"

"Because I can't stand to see you die... so please... if you do... make sure I'm dead first," Tenten said seriously. "Promise?"

Lee smiled, the vestiges of his old cheerfulness starting to shine one more from his glum face. "It is a promise I will uphold with my life!" Lee said. Tenten smiled and waved goodbye, walking away briskly. Lee looked into the setting sun, the yellow and orange glow reflecting in his eyes. "With my life..." he repeated, looking down at the fresh cut on his arm.

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Tenten stared into the steadily darkening sky, her tears drying silently. She hadn't been fast enough, and now he was gone. She cursed bitterly, what was the use of having perfect aim if you couldn't even save the one you loved? She sat up, throwing her hitae-ate off resolutely, she was done, she wanted no more, she was done. She stood to leave when she heard a slight shuffling noise behind her. "You dropped this Tenten-chan.." Lee said softly, picking up her hitae-ate and walking over to her.

"Leave me alone Lee..." she said, her face set into a determined frown. She silently begged him to stay, her eyes pleading with him unconsciously.

Lee quickly pulled her down and sat her next to him, "I know how you feel.." he began.

Tenten scoffed immediately, her eyes filling with tears again, "Oh do you?" she said sarcastically, "You know what its like to lose the love of your life because you were too slow?"

Lee looked her in the eyes, his gaze never wavering though his voice broke, "Y.. Yes," he said, his round eyes squinting in uncharacteristic pain. "I know exactly what it is like,"

"Sure.." she scoffed. She immediately felt bad for it though, the look on Lee's face becoming increasingly pained.

"I do know," he said softly, "I was far too slow... and that is why I lost Sakura-chan to him.." he looked up again, "Neji loved you Tenten-chan... you know that, it is not your fault..."

"That just makes it worse!" Tenten stormed, "He needed me and I wasn't there! He was all alone! I should have been there with him! I should have died WITH him! Maybe I could have died in his place..." she said softly.

Lee shook his head sadly, "Would Neji be able to live knowing you died?"

"Well I can't live knowing he died! What about that?" Tenten yelled, "Did you even think about how I feel about him being gone?" she stomped away, her mind spinning, and tears falling from her eyes.

Lee looked up at her quizically, his eyes questioning her, he stood as well. "Where are you going Tenten-chan?" he asked.

"I quit," she spat, "I'm through with this... I can't do it anymore,"

Lee quickly walked faster to catch up with her, falling in behind her, "So when are we leaving?" he said seriously.

"What do you mean 'we'?" Tenten snapped, turning around quickly to face the green-clad ninja behind her.

"Exactly what I said," Lee replied, his eyes gazing at her levelly.

"You're not coming,"

"Why not?" Lee asked, "I have nothing left here, only you, if you leave then I may as well leave with you... if only to keep you safe,"

Tenten smiled faintly, "But why Lee?"

Lee shook his head with a faint grin, "Want to go get something to eat?" he said, holding out the hitae-ate.

Tenten sighed and took it, securing it against her forehead again, she smiled weakly, "Okay... but you're paying..."

"Sure!"

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Tenten gasped, her hands grasping at the kunai that had buried itself into her stomach, "Tenten!" she heard an agonized voice yell.

"There's too many! Fall back!" the jounin ordered.

Lee shook his head feverishly, "Tenten-chan is still in there! We can not leave!"

The jounin spun around, tugging at the unyielding chunin's arm, "We have to go, NOW,"

Lee tore his arm from the jounin's grasp and leapt, landing in the center of the group of enemy nin. "Not without her!" he roared, he knocked several of the enemies away but there were too many, they swarmed him, a solid wall of flesh. The bodies piled up but even then, but he had reached his limit. A kunai flew toward the gasping chunin and struck him soundly. He fell backward, the kunai sticking at an odd angle from his chest. He slammed into the ground, blood leaking from his mouth. He turned to look at the girl next to him and smiled, "Looks like we get to keep that promise today Tenten-chan.."

Tenten nodded weakly, "Thanks for trying Lee..." she said grimacing.

Lee glared at the enemy ninja that were slowly moving toward them, their eyes shining with bloodlust. "Tenten-chan?" Lee whispered.

"Yes Lee?"

"Thanks... for everything you did..." Lee started, "You were the best friend I could ever ask for..."

Tenten smiled back weakly, "Hey... same for you Lee... you were really there for me when I needed it... I'm glad we became close like that, it was great..."

Lee nodded toward the approaching enemies, "So should we get started?" he muttered.

Tenten nodded, the fire returning to her eyes. "Let's do it," she said. The two flung themselves upwards, their eyes burning with the fires of determination. They lashed out, killing enemy nin left and right, completely decimating the area around them, the sick blows of flesh on flesh and the shrieking of projectiles mixing into a song of death. Death for the enemies that had so foolishly chosen to attempt to separate the friends.

Lee smiled, the clearing was empty now, the dead enemy lying all around. He smiled and fell heavily, his knees giving out. He heard a thud next to him and turned painfully, his black eyes meeting with those of his friend. "So... we did it eh?" Lee said softly, his vision blurring.

Tenten nodded, "We really showed them..." she coughed, a long spray of blood splattering onto the ground, she shakily reached out and took her friend's hand, "Remember your promise..." she whispered, "I can't bear to see you die..."

Lee shook his head, "I do not want to see you die either.." he said, the dazzling smile reappearing briefly, "Maybe we should die at the same time?"

Tenten chuckled, "Meet you there then?"

"Deal..."

The friends grips tightened for a moment and then loosened, thus they died, exactly as they wanted, hand in hand, and side by side until the end. Friends without equal.

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Notes: This fic is completely and utterly dedicated to SapphireWhiteTigress, the best Beta and friend, anyone could ever ask for. She's always there and help me so much I want to dedicate this to her. It may not be very good but I hope it will at least get across a fraction of my appreciation for her all all she does.

_Dedicatated to SapphireWhiteTigress: She truly deserves something better, but this is the best I can do.  
Thank you so much, you're the best._


End file.
